Court documents shed new light on Rainbow Park stabbing

Court documents have shed new light on a stabbing this week in a controversial Sarnia encampment that saw a Sarnia man accused of attempted murder.

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Police say Stewart James was stabbed in the neck in Rainbow Park about 6:30 pm Monday, the court records show.

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Richard Hales, 33, of Sarnia, is charged with attempted murder and failing to comply with a probation order, police have said.

Court documents indicate Hales is of no fixed address. Police said Tuesday Hales was from Sarnia, but wouldn’t say if either he or the stabbed man had been camping in the park near Christina and Talfourd streets.

A homeless encampment in the park has been a hot topic at city council, which decided to hit pause on removing the camp, amid legal and human rights concerns, hours before Monday’s stabbing.

Sharon Docherty, who lives across from Rainbow Park on Christina Street, said she believes such an attack was inevitable. Docherty, who’s visited the camp and talked to people living there, has opposed it amid concerns about drug paraphernalia and rumors of hidden weapons.

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About a dozen Sarnia police officers went through the park on bicycles Wednesday afternoon, but a police spokesperson said it was a training effort unrelated to the attempted murder probe. But the Integrated Mobile Police and Crisis Team (IMPACT) is also being trained and will be seen in the park on bicycles more frequently, they said.

Sarnia Police Chief Derek Davis, tweeting on Tuesday afternoon, called the stabbing “serious and concerning,” and said police are glad the victim is expected to recover.

James knows the suspect, police have said.

Hales, who was held in custody following a brief court appearance Wednesday, has been banned from contacting James and two other people. He returns to court Friday.

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Sarnia police have laid three attempted murder charges so far this year – a teen is accused of a shooting and a 20-year-old alleged to have stabbed someone – and one first-degree murder charge.

Hales’s sister, Jessica Hales, has been a key witness at an ongoing joint second-degree murder trial in Sarnia.

As for Rainbow Park, council chose to spend two more weeks developing a protocol for dealing with homeless encampments in Sarnia.

A Lambton County official has estimated there are 30 to 40 people living in the park, many with mental health and drug dependency issues.

Homeless camps have become a major issue across Ontario, Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley stressed, noting county council last week asked Queen’s Park to take the lead.

-with files from Tyler Kula

[email protected]

@ObserverTerry

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